Razavi University of Islamic Sciences Quranic Doctrines 2251-9378 23 43 2026 06 22 An Interpretive Re-reading of the Verse "Fa'arāhu al-Āyata al-Kubrā" Based on Roland Barthes' Semiotics and Foucault's Discourse of Power An Interpretive Re-reading of the Verse "Fa'arāhu al-Āyata al-Kubrā" Based on Roland Barthes' Semiotics and Foucault's Discourse of Power 235 272 2123 10.30513/qd.2025.7389.2633 FA Ali Salahshoor Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Theology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran. Journal Article 2025 08 29 The verse "Fa'arāhu al-Āyata al-Kubrā" (So he showed him the greatest sign, Q79:20) is a symbolic Quranic verse in Sūrat al-Nāziʿāt that recounts part of the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh. Throughout Islamic history, it has given rise to a wide range of interpretations and understandings. This study, using an analytical-interpretive method and drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Roland Barthes' semiotics and Foucault's discourse analysis, re-examines the multi-layered meaning and discourse of this verse. An examination of approximately one hundred exegetical works shows that commentators' views on the meaning and referent of the verse can be classified into nine distinct categories, including the staff, the shining hand, and others. Semiotic analysis, by distinguishing three levels of signification (denotation, connotation, and myth), reveals how commentators' interpretations have led to the consolidation and reproduction of different cultural, doctrinal, and ideological meanings. Furthermore, using Foucault's approach to power discourse, the relationship between the interpretation of the verse and structures and institutions of religious, political, and cultural power in their historical context is examined. The findings show that "al-Āyat al-Kubrā" is not merely a physical miracle but a field of discursive struggle that reflects the complex interaction of religion, power, and culture in divine societies. This study emphasizes the importance of multi-layered understanding of Quranic verses through interdisciplinary approaches and highlights the necessity of paying attention to historical and discursive context in the analysis of sacred texts. The verse "Fa'arāhu al-Āyata al-Kubrā" (So he showed him the greatest sign, Q79:20) is a symbolic Quranic verse in Sūrat al-Nāziʿāt that recounts part of the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh. Throughout Islamic history, it has given rise to a wide range of interpretations and understandings. This study, using an analytical-interpretive method and drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Roland Barthes' semiotics and Foucault's discourse analysis, re-examines the multi-layered meaning and discourse of this verse. An examination of approximately one hundred exegetical works shows that commentators' views on the meaning and referent of the verse can be classified into nine distinct categories, including the staff, the shining hand, and others. Semiotic analysis, by distinguishing three levels of signification (denotation, connotation, and myth), reveals how commentators' interpretations have led to the consolidation and reproduction of different cultural, doctrinal, and ideological meanings. Furthermore, using Foucault's approach to power discourse, the relationship between the interpretation of the verse and structures and institutions of religious, political, and cultural power in their historical context is examined. The findings show that "al-Āyat al-Kubrā" is not merely a physical miracle but a field of discursive struggle that reflects the complex interaction of religion, power, and culture in divine societies. This study emphasizes the importance of multi-layered understanding of Quranic verses through interdisciplinary approaches and highlights the necessity of paying attention to historical and discursive context in the analysis of sacred texts. https://qd.razavi.ac.ir/article_2123_4d22f5daa7adc44b52204a1b290d1489.pdf